AEP PSO Operating Unit to Purchase Renewable Energy to Serve Oklahoma Customers
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Feb. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- American Electric Power
(NYSE: AEP) operating unit Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO) has signed
long-term power purchase agreements for approximately 198 megawatts of
renewable energy from two Oklahoma wind farms.
Through the 20-year agreements, PSO will purchase 98.9 megawatts (MW) from
a wind farm in Elk City, Okla., being developed by NextEra Energy Resource
(formerly FPL Energy) and 99 megawatts from an expansion of Horizon Wind
Energy's Blue Canyon facilities north of Lawton, Okla. Both sites are expected
to be operational by Dec. 31. The agreements are part of PSO's long-term
energy supply plan and are subject to approval by the Oklahoma Corporation
Commission.
"Wind energy can play an important role in our ongoing efforts to balance
our customers' demands for electricity with the desire to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions," said Michael G. Morris, AEP chairman, president and chief
executive officer. "With these agreements, AEP has contracted to add 653
megawatts of renewable wind energy to our generation mix in just the last two
years, and we are on target to achieve our voluntary goal of adding 1,000
megawatts of new renewable generation to serve our customers by 2011."
Including the new PSO agreements, AEP's generation mix includes 310 MW of
wind turbines owned and operated by AEP in Texas and another 1,120 MW of
long-term wind energy purchase agreements for a total of 1,430 MW of wind
energy in the company's generation portfolio.
"Renewable generation development is an important part of any strategy to
address climate change. To help facilitate additional wind and solar energy
development, we need to end the uncertainty that stifles investment by putting
in place long-term support for renewable energy projects," Morris said.
"We also need federal support for interstate transmission siting to enable
development of a very efficient transmission superhighway to transport
renewable energy from where it is most viable to population and electricity
load centers. Interstate transmission lines are a critical piece of
infrastructure that don't require a federal handout but would greatly benefit
from federal siting authority to reduce risk and encourage private
investment," Morris added.
American Electric Power is one of the largest electric utilities in the
United States, delivering electricity to more than 5 million customers in 11
states. AEP ranks among the nation's largest generators of electricity, owning
nearly 38,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the U.S. AEP also owns the
nation's largest electricity transmission system, a nearly 39,000-mile network
that includes more 765-kilovolt extra-high voltage transmission lines than all
other U.S. transmission systems combined. AEP's transmission system directly
or indirectly serves about 10 percent of the electricity demand in the Eastern
Interconnection, the interconnected transmission system that covers 38 eastern
and central U.S. states and eastern Canada, and approximately 11 percent of
the electricity demand in ERCOT, the transmission system that covers much of
Texas. AEP's utility units operate as AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power
(in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana
Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and
Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana and east Texas).
AEP's headquarters are in Columbus, Ohio.
